SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

Style & Design 2009: 5 In-House Hip-Hop Producers To Watch

Forget buying $100,000 tracks from super-producers—the ability to self-produce beats in-house has become a financial and creative necessity for rappers. Shrinking budgets and little to no A&R involvement mean that artists who produce their own beats, like Soulja Boy and The Cool Kids, have a leg up. But for an up-and-coming rapper who doesn't make their own music, the best move is to recruit someone you mesh well with to become your go-to in-house producer. Let's not forget that most of today's biggest hitmakers—from Timbaland to Swizz Beatz—earned their stripes as in-house producers before going on to find freelance success. Could the following 5 newcomers be next?

<!--more-->BOI-1DA (twitter)WORKS WITH: Drake & October's Very OwnHOME TEAM HIT: Drake "Best I Ever Had"
<script language="JavaScript" src="http://cdnL.complex.com/assets/media/mp3player/audio-player.js"></script>
WHAT'S NEXT? While doing more work for Drake's debut Thank Me Later, this in-demand Canadian producer (who also did Kardinal Offishal's "Set It Off" with Clipse & Dr. Dre) is rumored to be working on beats for Dre's Detox.

THE INKREDIBLES (Lee Major and Moe)WORKS WITH: We The Best MusicHOME TEAM HIT: Ace Hood f/ Trey Songz "Ride"
<script language="JavaScript" src="http://cdnL.complex.com/assets/media/mp3player/audio-player.js"></script>
WHAT'S NEXT? They've already scored a hit with Jeezy ("Vacation") and a gang of tracks for Khaled affiliates Fat Joe and Rick Ross, and now the duo has a song on Jay-Z's Blueprint 3 album ("Real As It Gets" f/ Young Jeezy).